I'd like to put a drip system on the sprocket and idler to keep the noise down because we are working in a neighborhood. It seems like it would also prolong the life of the components. But i guess it could make dirt stick and make it wear out faster.
I would say you answered your own question. If you were never on dirt, it might work.
Not to mention the pollution aspect of it.......repower with a detroit engine and will oil automatic fer ya....bah ha ha
Not to mention that most of the noise is not from contact with the sprocket or idler, but internal grinding between the pins and bushings. Even if you did oil like you said, most of the noise would still be there.
Try water on the tracks,non polluting lube....
I'd have a hard time believing that continually drenching the tracks in water wouldn't cause more problems.
I've seen operators oil tracks on crawler cranes years ago... but a trackhoe... with the amount of dust they create... I'm thinking the track shops would love that...so I think it would lessen the life of the tracks
I doubt water would have a noticeable affect on track life. I have spent a bit bit of time in water even saltwater with track equipment. Cat makes an aerosol graphite lube that I used to really like to use on our blades.
Ive heard that if you want to kill a set of tracks real quick, get gown in the water stirring up silt and mud, then drive thru it. My old boss killed the bottom on a ih 125 trackloader cleaning out under bridges I would agree that track noise will drive a man nuts though, especially if he is trying to sleep.
30 years ago things were way different , I would take the fuel truck and hose the tracks on old crawlers cranes if they had any distance walk.Later it was drizzling used motor oil. Now with the rules and stuff... nothing. It's horrible the noise the tracks make.